Seal-isolating means for sealed containers

ABSTRACT

A container having an opening to be closed and sealed by a closure member and sealing means and having means within the container for isolating the sealing means from the contents of the container. If the closure includes an aerosol-dispensing valve, it, too, is provided with means to isolate the valvesealing means from the contents of the container. If the container is of metal and has a bead around the opening, the isolation means reinforces the bead during the application of the closure to the container.

United States Patent 56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 1,000,1552/1952 France Inventor Philip Meshberg l5 Stoneleigh Road, Fairfield,Conn. 06430 832,209

[2]] Appl. No. [22] Filed June 11, 1969 [45] Patented June 1, 1971ABSTRACT: A container having an opening to be closed and aling means andhaving [54] SEAL-ISOLATING MEANS FOR SEALED sealed by a closure memberand se CONTAINERS means within the container for isolating the sealingmeans from the contents of the container.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

If the closure includes an [52] [1.8. 222/542, aerosol-dispensing valve,it, too, is provided with means to isolate the valve-sealing means fromthe contents of the container. If the container is of metal and has ahead around the opening, the isolation means reinforces the bead durinapplication of the closure to the container.

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SEAL-ISOLATING MEANS FOR SEALEDLOINTAINERS Heretofore the contents ofcontainers have been 66 taminated by coming in contact with therubberlike sealing means for the closure of the container.

The present invention overcomes this difficulty by providing anisolation means of an inert material, such as of plastic material,disposed within the container to prevent the contents of the containerfrom contacting the sealing means for the closure. This is accomplishedin a glass bottle container, in which the neck dimensions are difficultto maintain during manufacture, by means of an isolation sleeve whichseals against the valve housing, the inner neck portion of the bottle,and has a flange interposed between the closure and bottle to isolatethe sealing means from the contents of the glass bottle container.

In a metal aerosol container with an inturned flange providing a beadforming the mouth of the container, the isolation element hasmeanssealing against the dispensing valve housing and a rim disposed inthe bead to isolate the sealing means with the rim reinforcing the beadagainst crushing as the closure is secured in position.

In a metal container having a bead around the mouth and a closuretherefor without a valve, the isolation means reinforces the bead andisolates the sealing means.

Further, where a dispensing valve is carried by the closure, the sealingmeans for the valve can have an isolation means to prevent the sealingmeans from contacting the contents of the container.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thespecification and claims when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a glass container with a valve andisolation means.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a metal container.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a container, closure and isolation means.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a glass aerosol container asshown in FIG. 1. In this figure a container has a neck 11 terminating inan opening or mouth 12 which is closed by a mounting cup 13 for adispensing valve 14 having a housing 15 of plastic material and can be ametered or nonmetered valve. The cup 13 is secured to the valve housing15 by a crimp 13a and to the container by having its flange 16 extendingunder the outer lip 17 of the container and encloses a rubber or thelike gasket or sealing washer 18 disposed between the end 10a of thecontainer and the cup.

Inasmuch as it is difficult in the manufacture of glass bottles tomaintain round and uniform dimensions in the end of the neck and themouth, there has been a problem of preventing the contents of thecontainer from engaging the rubber sealing gasket 18.

In accordance with the invention an isolating element of inert materialwith respect to the contents of the container in the form of a sleeve 19of plastic material, such as high-density polyethylene, is provided. Ithas an inner end 20 which is preferably slightly tapered so as totightly engage the outer surface of the housing 15. It has a wallportion 21 which is slightly tapered to engage the inner surface of theneck to seal therewith and to compensate for variations in the internaldiameter of the neck and has at its outer end an inclined flange 22which-is inclined as shown in FIG. 1 and positioned to engage the cup 13and the end 10a of the container to effectively seal off the spacetherebetween and isolate the sealing gasket from the contents of thecontainer when the cup is secured in position. 1

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the edge of the flange 22 will engage thegasket to confine it and prevent it from spreading laterally under thepressure of the cup as it is secured in position to enhance the sealingof the gasket 18.

To complete the isolation, a disc 24 of plastic material is disposed inthe mouth 25 of housing 15 to underlie the usual rubber sealing washer26 which seals the plastic stem 27 of the valve 14. A shoulder 28 on thestem is normally urged against the disc 24 by a spring 29 when the stemis in nondispensing position.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 2, a metal container has aneck 111 terminating in an internal flange 111a forming a head 1 1 1bsurrounding an opening or a mouth 112 which is closed by a mounting cup113 for a dispensing valve 14 having a plastic housing 15 The cup issecured to the housing by a crimp 113a and has a central depression 113bto engage the flange 111a and has the flange 116 extending around thebead and under the lip 117 of the container formed by the bead 1 1 1b.The cup has the sealing gasket I18 disposed between the cup and end ofthe bead.

An isolation element 119 of plastic material has an inwardly projectingsleeve 120, which is preferably slightly tapered, sealingly engaging thesurface of the housing 15 and depends from a disc portion 121 having asealing portion or rim 122 disposed in and sealingly filling the beadlllb as shown in FIG. 2. This rim also functions to prevent thecollapsing of the bead when the flange 116 is crimped thereto. With thisconstruction it will be seen that the gasket 118 is completely isolatedfrom the contents of the container. The dispensing valve is similar tothe one shown in FIG. I and has the isolation disc 24 for preventingcontact of the rubber sealing washer by the contents of the dispenser asexplained above.

If the container of FIG. 2 has a closure 213, as is shown in FIG. 3,such as a crown cap applied to the mouth, the isolation member 219having a thickened rim 220 is disposed in the bead and prevents the beadfrom crushing during the crimping of the flange 216 around the bead. Thecrown cap has a sealing layer 226 of rubber and an isolation disc 224which rests on the shoulders 225 of the rim 220 and completely isolatesthe contents of the container from the seal 226.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of theinvention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Iclaim:

11. In a container having a neck terminating in an open mouth and aclosure therefor having a cup and a dispensing valve having a housingfor closing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposedbetween the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination ofan isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container andhaving portions interposed between the seal and the interior of thecontainer to isolate the contents of the container from contact with thesealing means, said isolation member comprising a sleeve having aportion sealingly engaging the housing, a portion sealingly engaging theneck and a portion disposed between the cup and the mouth of thecontainer to isolate said sealing means from the interior of thecontainer.

2. In a container having a neck terminating in an inwardly directedflange providing a bead forming an open mouth and a closure thereforhaving a cup and a dispensing valve having a housing for closing theopen mouth, said closure having sealing means disposed between theclosure and the mouth of the container, the combination of an isolationmember disposed within the mouth of the container and having portionsinterposed between the seal and the interior of the container to isolatethe contents of the container from contact with the sealing means, saidisolation member comprising a disc having an aperture therein and asleeve depending from said disc adjacent said aperture in the disc andsealingly engaging the housing and a rim on the disc disposed in thehead to isolate said sealing means from the interior of the container.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein the closure is securedto the bead and wherein the rim substantially fills the bead andprevents deformation thereof when the closure is secured thereto.

4. In a container having a neck terminating in an inwardly directedflange providing a bead forming an open mouth and a closure therefor forclosing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposedbetween the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination ofan isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container andhaving portions interposed between the seal and the interior of thecontainer to isolate the contents of the container from contact with thesealing means, said isolation means comprising a disc having an aperturetherein and a rim disposed in the bead and having a shoulder around theaperture in the disc supporting a second isolation member closing saidaperture, the isolation members preventing contact of the contents ofthe container from the sealing means.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4, wherein the closure is securedto the bead and wherein the rim substantially fills the bead andprevents deformation thereof when the closure is secured thereto.

6. In a container for pressurized material having a neck terminating inan open mouth and a closure member therefor including a dispensing valvefor dispensing the pressurized contents of the container therefrom, saiddispensing valve having a housing, a stem, and a sealing gasketsealingly engaging the stem for closing the open mouth, said closurehaving sealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of thecontainer, the combination of an isolation member disposed within themouth of the container and having portions interposed between the sealand the interior of the container to isolate the contents of thecontainer from contact with the sealing means, and a second isolationmember comprising a plastic disc extending under the gasket andisolating the gasket from the contents of the container.

1. In a container having a neck terminating in an open mouth and aclosure therefor having a cup and a dispensing valve having a housingfor closing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposedbetween the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination ofan isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container andhaving portions interposed between the seal and the interior of thecontainer to isolate the contents of the container from contact with thesealing means, said isolation member comprising a sleeve having aportion sealingly engaging the housing, a portion sealingly engaging theneck and a portion disposed between the cup and the mouth of thecontainer to isolate said sealing means from the interior of thecontainer.
 2. In a container having a neck terminating in an inwardlydirected flange providing a bead forming an open mouth and a closuretherefor having a cup and a dispensing valve having a housing forclosing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposedbetween the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination ofan isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container andhaving portions interposed between the seal and the interior of thecontainer to isolate the contents of the container from contact with thesealing means, said isolation member comprising a disc having anaperture therein and a sleeve depending from said disc adjacent saidaperture in the disc and sealingly engaging the housing and a rim on thedisc disposed in the bead to isolate said sealing means from theinterior of the container.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 2,wherein the closure is secured to the bead and wherein the rimsubstantially fills the bead and prevents deformation thereof when theclosure is secured thereto.
 4. In a container having a neck terminatingin an inwardly directed flange providing a bead forming an open mouthand a closure therefor for closing the open mouth, said closure havingsealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of thecontainer, the combination of an isolation member disposed within themouth of the container and having portions interposed between the sealand the interior of the container to isolate the contents of thecontainer from contact with the sealing means, said isolation meanscomprising a disc having an aperture therein and a rim disposed in thebead and having a shoulder around the aperture in the disc supporting asecond isolation member closing said aperture, the isolation memberspreventing contact of the contents of the container from the sealingmeans.
 5. The invention as defined in claim 4, wherein the closure issecured to the bead and wherein the rim substantially fills the bead andprevents deformation thereof when the closure is secured thereto.
 6. Ina container for pressurized material having a neck terminating in anopen mouth and a closure member therefor including a dispensing valvefor dispensing the pressurized contents of the container therefrom, saiddispensing valve having a housing, a stem, and a sealing gasketsealingly engaging the stem for closing the open mouth, said closurehaving sealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of thecontainer, the combination of an isolation member disposed within themouth of the container and having portions interposed between the sealand the interior of the container to isolate the contents of thecontainer from contact with the sealing means, and a second isolationmember comprising a plastic disc extending under the gasket andisolating the gasket from the contents of the container.